is a village in Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It was formed on February 13, 2005 from the merger of the villages of Chōyō, Hakusui and Kugino. Neighbouring towns are Takamori, Ōzu, and Nishihara. As of April 30, 2019, the village has an estimated population of 10,535 and a population density of 77 persons per km². The total area is 137.30 km². Geography Climate Minamiaso has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is high, but there is a pronounced difference between the wetter summers and drier winters. The average annual temperature in Minamiaso is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Minamiaso was on 8 August 2015; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 24 January 2016 and 8 January 2021. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Minamiaso in 2020 is 9,836 people. Minamiaso has been conducting censuses since 1960. History Minamiaso is situated within Aso Caldera, one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world. For more information, refer to the entry on Mt. Aso. Minamiaso was once three separate villages: Chōyō, Hakusui and Kugino. In 2005, it was decided that these villages would merge along with neighboring area Tateno to become Minamiaso village, which would stretch between Ōzu and Takamori. Merger Due to declining birth rate, aging population and the opportunity to share administrative resources, discussions between the three villages (Chōyō, Hakusui and Kugino) began on April 1, 2003. The merger was complete on February 13, 2005. Education Tokai Agricultural University Kumamoto Seiryou High School There are no public high schools in Minamiaso. Junior high schools Chōyō Junior High School Hakusui Junior High School Kugino Junior High School Junior High School Merger At the beginning of 2016, due to declining student numbers, the three junior high schools merged into a single school, named simply "Minamiaso Junior High School". Chōyō Junior High School was chosen as the new location to host the students and staff. Elementary schools Tateno Elementary School Chōyō Elementary School West Chōyō Elementary School Nakamatsu Elementary School Hakusui Elementary School Ryouhei Elementary School Kugino Elementary School Transportation Rail Trains going to Ōzu, Miyaji (Aso City) or non-express trains bound for Oita will stop at Tateno Station.